The Blue Bikini
by DreamCatcher121
Summary: Sesshomaru takes Rin to the beach for her birthday, but what happens when Inuyasha's gang shows up and Kagome is wearing something he's never seen before? And what happens if he likes it? I'm bad at summaries so just read! Oneshot. SessKag. Rated for Language and explicit suggestiveness. (if that is a real thing) *Not a oneshot anymore. More warnings inside!*
1. The Blue Bikini

**A/N:** so I'm being really bad and taking a mini break from my other story. I decided to write this little (okay huge) oneshot because I'm on vacation. What does an island vacation mean to me? The beach! So here goes… (0.0)

**Disclaimer:** If I were Rumiko Takahashi, let's just say Sesshomaru would spend a lot more of his time shirtless. Lucky for him (and not so much for us), I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

**Beaches, Bastards, Bikinis, Oh My! **

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He hated the beach. The potent brine of the sea assaulted his delicate sense of smell and the miniscule grains of sand always seemed to find their way into his long hair. Under normal circumstances, he would never think to go to such a place, but Rin had wanted to. It was her birthday today; Or rather, the anniversary of the day he had revived her with Tenseiga. The child followed him unflinchingly and rarely asked for anything so as not to burden him. To that effect he had decided to grant her one wish. As he watched the waves crash at the shore before retreating again and sending their strong scent across the beach, he could not help but regret his decision a bit. However, as he looked at the girl chasing seagulls and laughing merrily, he decided to quell his personal feelings for the time being.

He was getting uncomfortably warm in his armor and kimono, so he decided to take both off; though he kept his hakama and still held his swords at his side. He figured that there was nothing around that was powerful enough to require his armor. He retired to the shade of a tree where the sand met the forest floor. There he watched his ward continue to chase the seagulls as his vassal, Jaken, shouted his displeasure to deaf ears. Two hours of swimming and chasing followed and things had started to calm down somewhat. He continued his silent vigil as Rin attempted to make a sand replication of his castle in the western lands. All of a sudden the steady breeze carried a series of unpleasant smells; the most unpleasant being the scent of his half-brother. He also noted the scents of the miko, slayer, kit, and monk that always seemed to travel with the half-breed. 'Wonderful,' he thought with deep resentment, 'there goes one the few moments of peace that are so rare for this Sesshomaru.' The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Outwardly of course he showed none of these emotions. Not wanting to ruin Rin's day, he decided to let things play out as it were.

Minutes later, the hanyou's traveling party came within sight as they walked along the stretch of beach. Inuyasha was dressed in his usual bright red clothing, but the monk, the slayer, and the miko were all in odd garments he had never seen before. The monk was dressed in short pants that cut off just past his knees and something similar to those strange tops the girl often wore; it had short sleeves and looked to be made of cotton. The slayer wore a simple tunic dress that covered the outline of a peculiar one piece undergarment. The miko was clad in a similar dress to the slayer, but did not have the same odd outline. He watched silently; the inu in him curious as to why they were dressed in such a manner. Once the group arrived at the shore, he masked his scent and aura. Rin and Jaken were asleep, so he left them alone in favor of seeing what would occur next.

His eyes widened marginally, which for him meant complete and utter shock. They were taking off their clothes! All of them except for his half-brother, that is. The monk removed the short sleeved top and the girls pulled their dresses over their heads. The strange outline from underneath the slayers dress appeared to be some sort of one piece underclothing. However, when his eyes slid over to the miko he nearly choked. She was barely wearing anything! The triangular pieces of cloth held together precariously with bits of string left nothing to the imagination. He had lain with women before, so the mere sight of her should not have been enough to faze him. In fact, he should have been disgusted by her lack of modesty. Yet, as he beheld the smooth curves of her body, he found himself entranced. The pieces of cloth she wore were a wicked torment; they showed just enough to entice him, and withheld just enough to make it unbearable. He could not withhold his beast's desire to rip apart those strings and see the treasures hidden from him.

Things only got worse when she entered the water. She and the slayer were splashing water at each other playfully, which caused the miko's breasts to bounce in the most delectable way. He could not believe he was feeling something akin to desire for the insignificant ningen onna. He continued to fight a losing battle with his beast in the hopes that this useless feeling would depart quickly. He knew it was a fruitless task when he watched the water drip down her body, leaving glistening trails behind. He wanted the miko.

~Kagome's POV~

(Returning to before they arrived at the beach)

Kagome was absolutely giddy with excitement! She had FINALLY convinced Inuyasha to give them a short break. They were going to go to the beach, so she went home to get some supplies. She brought a pair of her dads swim trunks and a t-shirt for Miroku. She had so many cute little bikinis that she wanted to take for her and Sango, but she also brought a one piece suit, keeping in mind the modesty of the feudal era. As expected, when she had shown the demon slayer the different bikinis, the woman paled. Miroku, upon seeing the bikinis, was sorely disappointed that he wouldn't get to see Sango's curves. When he said as much, he earned himself a red palm print painted on his cheek. When everyone but Inuyasha, who had "keh'd" when asked if he would like a pair of trunks as well, was changed, they all headed for the beach.

Inuyasha grumbled the whole way about the trip and how we "Shouldn't be wasting our time at the damn beach, when that bastard Naraku is still running around!" Kagome finally lost patience and sat him into a nice, Inuyasha-sized crater. After that he calmed down a bit, but he still didn't hesitate to voice his displeasure when the opportunity arose. As they neared the beach, Kagome got excited. The water looked beautiful; free as it was from modern day pollution. The steady breeze picked up a little, carrying with it the smells of the sand and sea. It relaxed her. There was something about the way the waves rolled into the shore, and the tiny grains of sand gave way beneath your feet. With the feeling of the sun on her face, she smiled genuinely for the first time in weeks. It was simply wonderful!

When they finally arrived at the shore, they started to take off everything but their swimsuits. Miroku looked good in the trunks, and the one piece hugged Sango's curves every bit as much as the tight body suit she always wore. Miroku sprung a nose bleed as he ogled her, which earned him another decisive slap across the face; though she would never admit it, the slayer was secretly pleased at the attention he paid her. However, when she revealed _her_ suit, even_ Inuyasha's _eyes widened considerably and his mouth was slack as he took in what she was wearing; or rather what she _wasn't _wearing. She had chosen a midnight blue bikini that seemed to bring out the darker blue in her eyes, while at the same time calling attention to the curves she had. 'I bet _Kikyo_ doesn't own anything like this' she thought snidely. Lately Inuyasha seemed to never waste an opportunity to tell her all the ways Kikyo was better than her. It had caused her to have a slight inferiority complex about herself. She knew that most men would prefer Kikyo's willowy petite form to her more developed chest and wide hips. The fact that she still had a small waist did not comfort her when she was having these thoughts; it simply caused her more worry about her odd body proportions.

When she put on this particular bikini, however, she felt a confidence she had not known in quite a while. She enjoyed watching Inuyasha flounder for the words to speak. Not allowing him the chance to break her recently re-discovered confidence, she turned away from him and led Sango to the surf. She almost laughed at the confused expression her friend was making as she was pulled into the water. Confusion turned to shock as kagome sent a handful of water at the slayer. However, shock quickly changed to mirth as the woman caught onto Kagome's game. They spent the next ten minutes in all out splash warfare. Finally they both fell down in the surf, laughing and catching their breath. In the midst of their quest to defeat Naraku and gather the jewel shards, they had forgotten how to be normal people who laughed and had fun. Kagome had wanted this trip in order to help them remind themselves that they could still have a good time.

As she stood back up and helped Sango to her feet, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. She spread out her aura to see if anyone besides their group was near. Sensing nothing, she put the feeling aside as paranoia. They continued to laugh and play as the day wore on. She had just finished helping Shippou build a sand castle, when the feeling of eyes on her came back with force. She glanced around, and that is when an overly energetic Rin bowled into her with an excited squeal. "Kagome-sama! Rin did not know you were here, or Rin would have come to play sooner!" she said happily. Kagome was surprised to say the least. "Riiiiin! I've told you not to run off! It is an inconvenience to Sesshomaru-sama!" a voice squawked. There was only one creature that could squawk like that, and that was Sesshomaru's retainer Jaken. She groaned internally. While she adored Rin, she had a hard time feeling happy in her adoptive father's presence.

Sure enough, Jaken came into view, still shouting at Rin, with Sesshomaru walking a little ways behind. That was when she got a good look at Sesshomaru. Her jaw fell open and she made an audible snort of disbelief. He was not wearing his usual full war regalia. In fact, he was not wearing anything but his hakama, and loosely at that. He was a stunning specimen of male if she did say so herself. He was not scrawny, but neither was he bulky with overdeveloped muscles. He was lean with toned biceps, triceps, and every other "-eps" there were. As he walked she could see the subtle ripple of his perfectly chiseled abdomen. She also noted the sinful "v" of his hip bones and the delicious way the hakama were hanging off of them. Magenta stripes that matched the ones on his cheek also ran along his delicate wrists and wrapped around his narrow waist. 'I wonder where else he has them' she wondered idly. 'KAMI, DID I JUST THINK THAT?!' she mentally screamed. 'Bad Kagome! He's not _that_ hot… hell, who am I kidding, he's _gorgeous_' she sighed as she inwardly admitted defeat to herself. After she stopped drooling at him in her mind, she began to wonder why he was here and why she didn't sense such a powerful aura earlier. That was when she noticed that Inuyasha had Tetsusaiga drawn and was growling steadily. Apparently he was just as upset that he didn't sense his brother on the beach sooner.

"Inuyasha, let's see what he wants first" she said in a reasonable voice. "The hell would we do _that _for? This bastard's always causing trouble for us" he said, with resentment deep in his tone. "Inuyasha…" she began, the warning clear in her voice. "Keh" he scoffed, but he lowered Tetsusaiga. "This Sesshomaru does believe that the only _bastard_ here is _you_, half-breed" his brother said snidely as he approached the group. "Just shut the hell up, asshole" Inuyasha replied lamely. Rin chose that moment to let out an excited shriek. Everyone present turned to see what was going on and what they saw was equal parts cute and strange. Shippou had transformed into a giant pink balloon and was bouncing Rin up and down as she giggled and squealed in delight. Realizing the attention that they were receiving, Shippou quickly transformed back into his normal self and placed Rin on the ground with a deep red blush. 'Hmmm… I'll have to ask him if he has a crush on her later' Kagome thought to herself. "Anyways, why are _you _here Sesshomaru? You don't really seem like the fun in the sun type" she said, turning back to the shirtless god while trying to keep the drool in her mouth and the lust off her face.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

His beast preened at the way the object of his attentions was looking at him. Though she was trying desperately to hide it, he could see desire in her clear blue eyes and he noted the telltale shift in her scent that further indicated her arousal. Now that he noticed it, her scent was not like most ningens. Ningens either smelled of filth or a potent combination of oils and perfumes. It was nauseating to say the least. However, she smelled clean; she smelled of Sakura blossoms and a soft spring wind. It was a pleasant scent and he couldn't help but wonder what it would smell like if it was mixed with his own scent. He put aside those thoughts in favor of taking in the heady scent of her arousal. When she became like this, it added a note of citrus to the sakura blossom and wind combination. While the majority of his mind was occupied by male pride, the lesser part recognized that she had asked a question and formulated a response. "It is Rin's birthday and she wished to go to this place" he said as he turned to look at his ward as she begged the fox kit to turn into a balloon and play with her again. As he faced her again, he noticed the faint look of surprise that flickered across her features. Whatever answer she had expected from him, this clearly was not it. She did not respond verbally to his statement, however, she simply continued to look at his face as if searching for something. He arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow as he waited for her to say something. It was then that she seemed to realize that she had been staring at him for the past few minutes. A rush of heat rose to her head as blood pooled beneath her cheeks and the most sumptuous blush crept across her face. He nearly growled as he imagined what _else _he could do to make her blush like that. His imagination _really _got out of hand when she began to chew on her soft bottom lip nervously with those dull ningen teeth. Oh, what he wanted to do with that perfectly luscious mouth; what he would give to hear his name being cried out from those lips as he gave her pleasure. As these thoughts passed through his mind, he fought desperately for control of his features. He was Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, and a Daiyoukai. He would _not_ allow his perfect self control to be broken down by this little miko, no matter _how_ desirable she was. "W-well that's n-nice" she managed to stammer out, with that cute little blush still painted across her cheeks. He allowed a smirk to settle on his lips as she fidgeted under his stare. "What the fuck are you two _doing_?" Inuyasha suddenly interrupted. 'Hmm… I had forgotten of the half-breed's presence' he thought, 'This miko is quite dangerous.' The fact that he, who was aware of everything always, had forgotten to be on his guard around his half-brother in favor of fantasizing about the girl proved as much.

~Kagome's POV~

'KAMI! I totally forgot that everybody was here' she thought frantically. 'THAT'S because you were too busy gawking at Sesshomaru to notice' she reprimanded herself. "W-what are you talking about Inuyasha?" she got out between her thoughts. "I'm talkin' about the way you guys have been fuckin' droolin' all over each other sinc-" Inuyasha began. He never did finish that sentence, because as soon as he had gotten _that_ much out Kagome had screeched, "SIT! SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIT, SIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" with a face redder than anyone present thought a human was capable of. Inuyasha was now at the bottom of a very deep hole that she had created, using his face. Soon she forgot about him though, because she then heard the most captivating sound she had ever heard. His voice was rich and deep, like melted chocolate or the amber of his eyes. He was laughing. Sesshomaru the ice prince was actually laughing. She felt like she could listen to the musical timbre of his laugh forever, but when he himself realized the attention he was receiving, his face closed off and his emotionless mask was in place once again. She was not the only one staring at him in shock. As soon as he had made the sound, he had the attention of everyone (with the exception of Inuyasha, who was still on the ground). Miroku broke the silence first saying, "Did what I think just happened, really happen?" Sango nodded slowly, and if her jaw had dropped any further, it would surely hit the floor. Kagome herself was still trying to remember how her brain worked. "So the Daiyoukai of the West can laugh too. Who knew, eh?" Miroku continued, getting over his shock and chuckling with a grin on his face. "Rin has never heard Sesshomaru-sama laugh before. This is the best birthday _ever_!" Rin said with a huge toothy smile.

The day wore on with much playing, laughing, and yes, even a little flirting until the last rays of sun dipped below the horizon in a brief explosion of amber and gold. The two groups decided to camp on the beach together. This was met with many protests from a certain hanyou and toad demon, but at the pleading of Rin and Shippou, both traveling parties set up camp. After a fire was lit and the sleeping arrangements were made, they all settled down for the night. Shippou curled up in her lap as he usually did, but this time Rin was with him. She usually sang Shippou to sleep before putting him to bed. This was because when they found him, he had lost his parents and often had nightmares about it. The nightmares were gone now, but it was still a habit for her to sing to him. "Kagome is the best singer in the whoooole world!" Shippou whispered excitedly to Rin. This of course caused Rin to look at her with huge awed eyes as she waited for kagome to begin. All of a sudden she was nervous. What if she didn't live up to the little girl's expectations? Then she looked at Shippou, who smiled at her so sweetly that she was reminded of why she had started doing it in the first place. Situating them so that they were both lying with their heads in her lap, she began to sing in a sweet and clear voice:

_Fate has been cruel,_

_And the world unkind,_

_But fret not dear child tonight,_

_For fate also brought,_

_You next to me,_

_In a world full of silver moonlight,_

_Through any darkness,_

_I'll sing you a song,_

_So rest dear child safe in my keep,_

_Till your tired eyes,_

_And my lullabies,_

_Have carried you softly to sleep,_

_And may my song,_

_Bring you sweet dreams,_

_As you sleep dear child this night,_

_But should you have fear,_

_Know when you awake,_

_I'll be there holding you tight._

She ended her song and looked at the two sleeping faces before her. Carefully, she moved them off of her lap and onto their beds. After giving each a kiss above their brow, she finally laid down herself.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

When she began to sing, he immediately was pulled into consciousness. He became utterly entranced by her. He had never heard anything like it before. In fact, he could not stand most human voices, as they were often loud and unpleasant. However, her voice was as clear as water from a fresh spring and as sweet and smooth as warm honey. Listening to her felt like taking a warm bath; it was soothing and one could not help but relax. When she stopped, he was sorely disappointed. He kept his ears open in the hopes that she would start to sing again, but sadly she did not. He heard her carry the two children and put them to bed, and after giving each a kiss, she laid down as well.

He listened to her heartbeat and the sound of her even breaths as she started to fall deeper into sleep. He wondered if it was at all possible for someone to change their heart completely in one day. It certainly seemed as if he did. The miko made him laugh, made him lust, and made it completely impossible to him focus because the majority of his brain could not stop thinking about her. And it all started with that damned "bikini" as she termed it.

When he heard movement, he woke at once. He sniffed t the air and realized that it was Kagome. With the way the moon was positioned, he could tell that it was about two hours before dawn. He was curious as to why she would be awake at this time, when he heard her leave camp. He waited until she would no longer be able to hear him get up, and then moved to follow her. As he watched her from the shadows of the trees, he was surprised to find her standing in the surf. The wind blew quietly through her hair as if it was the caress of a lover, and on it he could smell her lovely scent. She began to sing softly to herself, and his ears were attuned to her voice. In the last light of the full moon, she looked like an unearthly creature. The pale moonbeams illuminated her skin and made her hair shine with its darkness. He found himself pulled to her as she sang her siren song. Without her noticing, he came and wrapped his arms around her.

~Kagome's POV~

"What are you doing to this Sesshomaru?" a deep voice whispered in her ear as a large pair of arms encircled her waist. 'eh? EH?!' she thought frantically. Why would Sesshomaru be holding her, and did he whisper something like that to _her_? It had to be a joke, or some sort of ploy to get her to react so he could tease her later. But as she felt his hot breath blowing softly on her neck, she was feeling very willing to let this joke play out. "S-Sesshomaru?" she whispered back in a shaky voice. She turned to face him with question in her eyes and gasped as his mouth crushed hers in a searing kiss. Her mind went blank as he set fire to her body through his lips. He pulled away and looked into her eyes. She was dazed but she couldn't deny her disappointment at the absence of his lips. As he looked at her he said, "I desire you Kagome. This Sesshomaru will not take you by force, for that is beneath me, however I will not let you go easily. This Sesshomaru will have what he wants." She shivered at the rasp of his possessive tone and felt heat pool in her core as she thought of what he offered with his words. Without thinking further, she lifted her arms around his neck and said in the most seductive whisper she could manage, "Have me then." She let herself fall deeper into his arms as he pulled her mouth to his once more.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

She tasted divine. He ran his tongue across her lips, trying to entice her to deepen the kiss. When she gasped, he took the opportunity to enter her mouth. He growled in pleasure as she tentatively explored his fangs with her tongue. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and tugged with just enough force to avoid drawing blood. When her arousal spiked he smirked in sadistic satisfaction. 'So the lady likes it rough, hm? I am certainly willing to oblige' he thought to himself. He allowed her a moment to catch her breath as he kissed along her jaw line and up towards her ear. He proceeded to lick the shell of her delicate little ear, biting the lobe lightly and enjoying the cute pants and moans leaving the lips of the miko tucked in his arms. Wanting to taste her once more he returned to her mouth. She opened it invitingly when he touched his lips to hers once more and he took the invitation. He ran his tongue on the underside of hers and she sighed into his mouth, sending that deliciously intoxicating scent straight to his brain. He faintly recognized the lightening of the sky as they kissed, but paid it no mind. He focused on what drew out those sexy little moans and continued to do them. He noticed that she particularly liked it when he would scrape his claws lightly down her sensitive back; and also the way he played with her tongue by licking and sucking it in her mouth. His eyes were tinged red with the desire she brought from within him, and he had no intentions of stopping with just a few kisses. He broke their kiss for a second time, but was nowhere close to finished. He let his fangs graze lightly over her neck before he continued a downward trail of nips and licks. He was past her collarbone and oh so close to tasting those perfect breasts when two small projectiles launched into him from the side.

~Kagome's POV~

Oh KAMI he was good! She was helpless to do anything but moan at the sensations he was bringing her. His claws had been roaming all over her sensitive skin beneath her uniform and he had just begun to caress her with his mouth, when two things flashed by and crashed into him. He did not budge of course, and when they began to move, that is when the both of them realized that the objects were Rin and Shippou. "Please don't hurt Kagome-sama, Sesshomaru-sama!" the little girl cried as she tugged on one of the arms holding her to Sesshomaru. "Yeah, stop hurting her!" Shippou wailed as he fought to pull the other arm. Sesshomaru and Kagome stared at each other in shock, their moment completely forgotten for now. And then a thought struck her. 'Oh… they must have heard my moans and saw Sesshomaru using his claws and fangs, and thought that he was hurting me!' she concluded. When she thought about how what he had been doing was the exact opposite of that, she couldn't help the giggle that erupted from her lips. Sesshomaru began to laugh as well as he came to the same conclusion, and the mixture of her bell like laughter and his deep, throaty chuckle confused the children that had come to save her. "This Sesshomaru has not harmed Kagome" he said to the two. They both looked to her for verification and she smiled warmly at them. "I'm fine guys. Sesshomaru didn't do anything to hurt me" she reassured the two children. "Then why did Kagome-sama sound like she was in pain?" Rin asked with puzzlement in her large brown eyes. Kagome almost choked; how was she supposed to explain to two young kids that she had almost given her virginity to the demon lord that had tried to kill her before, on a beach. No WAY was she going to do that. Suddenly she had an idea. Sesshomaru, who was suffering the same sort of brain malfunction, was completely unaware of her next move. "How about Sesshomaru explains it to you?" she said in a cheery voice. At that, Sesshomaru's head whipped around to look at her. She had to suppress a giggle as well as an evil smirk as she saw the dread in his eyes, which she had discovered were the only part of his face that betrayed emotion. Once she was at the camp, she let loose the laugh she had been holding in as she thought about Sesshomaru explaining the birds and the bees to Rin and Shippou.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

What a sly woman she was. Now the two of them were looking expectantly at him and he was at a loss for one of the first moments in his long life. "This Sesshomaru was… playing with Kagome" he said finally. "Oh! Like when Kagome plays the tickle monster game with me?" Shippou asked. "Indeed" Sesshomaru replied in relief, while not quite knowing what the "tickle monster game" was exactly. Both children nodded in understanding. "Rin is sorry for yelling at Sesshomaru-sama" his ward said to him with sad eyes. He patted the small child's head to reassure her he was not mad at her for trying to protect Kagome. "You are forgiven" he said, "Now go play with the fox kit elsewhere." "Hai, Sesshomaru-sama!" she said before taking Shippou by the hand and running off towards the tide pools that were a little ways away. Now that he wasn't occupied with the task of explaining what the children saw, he was left to his own thoughts. 'Damn!' he thought, 'I was nearly ready to take her before they showed up.' Sesshomaru wasn't sure if he should curse their timing or be grateful for it. He knew that he had not been in control entirely, and if he _had _taken her, he might not have been able to stop his beast from taking over and giving her a mating mark. No matter what he wanted, he couldn't simply mate her out of lust; even _he _wasn't cruel enough for something such as that. The more he thought about it the more he was thankful for the interruption. Youkai courts were no place for humans. Look at what had happened with his father and Inuyasha's mother; after he mated her challenges to his right as alpha cropped up every day. His body could not handle the strain of taking on both his challengers _and_ hers, so when the final fight came, he died to protect her and Inuyasha. Izayoi had not been strong. She had been a ningen princess that father fell in love with for her looks and kind gentleness. And how could a ningen woman stand up to all the youkai female challengers? She could not; and his father had died for it. He would not make the same mistakes. When he chose a mate it would be for her loyalty, honor, and undeniable strength. No one of his bloodline would ever be called weak, and no one would dare challenge his authority as alpha or his mate's. And yet as he watched her look for the jewel shards and deal with his idiotic half brother, he could not help but see the loyalty, honor, and strength within her. That is not to say he would take her as a mate, for he had not changed his views so much that he could do such a thing. He simply acknowledged that she was not the dirt that he considered most ningens to be. Had she been youkai he would have mated her on the spot; it was a shame that she had been born to the weak race of humans. He found himself wondering if there was a way to remedy her humanity. 'If there is, I will not let anything stop me from obtaining it' he thought. The more he thought about it, the more appealing the idea became.

~Kagome's POV~

It was getting uncomfortable to say the least. Everywhere she went she felt his eyes on her. Whenever their eyes would meet she would blush to the roots of her hair, and the almost indiscernible smirk that appeared on his face when she did was almost too much! Even worse than that, Inuyasha kept glaring at her. He obviously knew that Sesshomaru hadn't been playing the "tickle monster game" with her, as the children were led to believe. Even as a half inu youkai, his sense of smell was powerful. Surely he would smell Sesshomaru's scent all over her, along with the lingering tang of her arousal, and he was not so naïve as to not know what that meant. Though the more she thought about it, the more his anger didn't make sense! He would sneak off to Kikyo all the time, coming back with the scent of clay and graveyard soil, and she _always_ kept her thoughts to herself and off her face. Why _shouldn't_ she be able to hook up with someone that wouldn't look at her and see a dead woman? Why was it that _he_ got the best of both worlds, while _she_ was left with nothing? It just wasn't FAIR! Fuming, she decided that she should go take a bath in a hot spring they had found about a five minute walk away. "Where the hell are_ you _goin'?" Inuyasha said, with a scowl on his face. "_I'm _going to take a _bath_. Any _more _questions mother?" she snapped back. "Keh" he scoffed before jumping up into a nearby tree. She practically stomped her way to the hot spring, cursing Inuyasha every time she tripped, and by the time she got there she was mad as anything at the hanyou. Sinking into the warm water, she finally relaxed. As the time wore on, she became happier little by little. She was lightly humming to herself as she dried her hair, when she felt the aura of a youkai. She dropped her towel as she lunged for her quiver and bow. With an arrow quickly notched, she turned to face the direction of the approaching demon. When it was close enough she sensed that it had a jewel shard. Standing her ground she waited for it to come into the clearing. She did not have to wait long, because a huge lizard youkai soon burst through the trees. "Where isssss it?" the thing hissed. It was probably looking for the shard she carried around her neck, but she'd be damned before she handed it over. From her spot in the bushes, she fired an arrow before it could pin point where she was. It hit its target in one of its large red eyes, blazing with the pink light of her purification. The demon screeched in surprised pain as it looked wildly for her with its remaining eye. In its confusion she fired another arrow. This one hit the other eye and caused the youkai to shriek as it fell to the forest floor, writhing in agony. When it pulled both arrows out its eyes were dripping red as if it were crying tears of blood. The youkai's face contorted in rage as it addressed its attacker. "If you were ssssmart, you would have masked your presence. Now that I know you are here, I will repay you tenfold for thissss inssssult. Just becausssse I cannot ssssee you, doessss not mean I cannot find you. I can ssssmell you ningen, and ssssoon my poisssson shall eat away at your flesh and I will take the shard of the Shikon no Tama" it said as it rose from the ground. Suddenly the bush she was hiding behind melted away in a pool of sickly green liquid. She cried out in surprise but turned around to face her foe head on.

That is, she would have, had she not tripped over the root of a nearby tree. She hit the forest floor with a thud and her bow was thrown off to the side. She let out a groan as she tried to move her ankle and found that it was twisted. She sat up as best she could and began to drag her way towards the fallen bow. She almost made it before a searing pain shot through her entire body. The youkai had been amused with her efforts to reclaim the bow, so once she was just within arm's reach, he spat a bit of his venom at her side. The screams the action had brought from her lips were music to its ears and it began to hiss in a manner of laughter. Kagome could barely register this as the poison made its way through her system, making her see spots in her vision. She could feel her miko powers battling the poison, but she knew it would not be enough. "Inu…yasha" she whispered, praying that now of all times he would save her. "INUYASHAAAA!" she screamed desperately. "Your little hanyou protector isssss nowhere to be found it sssseemssss" the lizard demon said in a mocking voice, "Will he even be ssssaddened your abssssence?" She felt like she was dying. She would die here alone, for Inuyasha had not come for her. When she looked up with pain blurred eyes and saw a Soul Collector making its way through the sky, her heart shattered. The reason he had not come for her, the reason she would die alone was because he was busy. He was with Kikyo. All of her emotions for the hanyou went cold in that moment. In that same moment, a fire began to burn within her. She felt it build up inside of her until she was sure she was the center of a brilliant inferno. Her eyes ignited with the righteous flames of her pure anger and her mind became as calm and smooth as a lake of glass. In that one moment, she saw with absolute clarity her mistakes. For so long she had wondered why she could not be more powerful. She tried and tried harder to become more like the legendary priestess Kikyo was said to be; and in that, she began to lose herself. She came to like Inuyasha despite his uncouth behavior, yet he too preferred the real Kikyo despite her being dead. Even then, she promised to stay by his side. She began to hide so far behind her façade of happiness, that her true feelings became hidden deep within her. But that was then. In her current state she realized that she was not _weak_, they had _made _her weak. She had believed so deeply in the lie of her helplessness, that she truly became helpless. Now she stood, with no feelings of inferiority to hold her back, and knew herself to be changed. All of these thoughts and self discoveries happened in a single second. When she rose and faced the lizard demon, she was no longer _just_ Kagome, but rather something more.

~Lizard Demon's POV~

How wonderful the look of utter despair was. How lovely the salty scent of tears, and the sharp tang of blood. He relished the destruction of the little miko before him, and would soon have the power of two shards to become even greater. He was about to finish her off, and was debating whether or not to do it slowly when he noticed something strange about her body. Around her body was a slight pink glow that seemed to be getting stronger. He neared her curiously and hissed in pain as her aura stung him. What was happening? He had felt the extent of her powers when she shot his eyes and she was not enough to defeat him on her own. And in her current state, she should not still be conscious enough to maintain a barrier. Yet he watched in disbelief as she even began to move. The pink glow surrounding her became a veritable inferno as she rose to her feet. He was starting to feel a bit nervous as he watched her stand; there was no scent of fear on her as she stood before him. "So you believe me weak? So weak that I could not possibly win without _his_ help?" she said, her voice magnified by power. She opened her eyes in a glare and he hissed in surprise. Her eyes glowed with the same pink fire that surrounded her being, and there was no longer any discernible iris or pupil, just that unbelievable power. "Well what do you think of me now? Do I lack _power_? Do I need to be _saved_?" she said as she let her aura flare out, "Tell me of my weakness now." He was completely smothered by his own fear now as he looked at the powerful miko taking the place of the pitiful one. He tried to run, but after he had taken two steps, he knew no more.

~Kagome's POV~

She almost felt like laughing at the crazy power flowing through her body. It had felt like letting out a long held in breath. Except she had not known she'd been holding it! She had realized that every time Inuyasha had saved her, he had also hurt her. If he had shown up, she would still be prisoner to her feelings for him and would have been denied the chance to discover her own strength yet again. She almost thanked Inuyasha, almost. Her senses were heightened and she could smell the fear rolling off the lizard demon in waves. She wondered idly if this is what it was like to be a youkai. If it was, she could finally understand why Inuyasha wanted to be a full one so badly. While she had been thinking about this, the lizard had decided to run. Without even thinking about it, she lashed out her aura, and watched as it wrapped around him in a deadly cocoon. He was purified instantly and she was surprised at just how easy it was. She glanced up and saw another soul creature float by, and this time she took off to follow it. Her newfound power allowed her to easily keep pace with the flying youkai. After about ten minutes she landed just before a clearing. She masked her scent and aura in order to walk to the edge of the clearing without being noticed. What she saw there would have made the old Kagome run away and cry, but the new Kagome simply smirked. Inuyasha had Kikyo pinned to the forest floor as he ravaged her mouth and his hands explored her body. Kagome casually walked up to the oblivious couple and sat at their level. "So _this_ is where necrophilia started off from…" she said. At that very second Kagome was sorely disappointed not to have her camera with her. For if she _had _carried it with her, she could have captured the most spectacular expression of shock she had ever seen, which currently sat upon the stunned hanyou's face. "K-k-ka-ka-KAGOME!" he stuttered as he immediately sat up from his compromising position. "Hey there!" she said in an overly cheerful voice. Inuyasha had confusion written all over his face at her tone. Usually if she had caught them like this, hurt would show in her eyes and he would be able to smell the slight salt of her forming tears; but he smelled no salt and could detect no despair in her aura. "So I went to take a bath, where I was viciously attacked by a lizard youkai with a jewel shard" she said in an almost nonchalant tone. When he registered her words he jumped up and sniffed the air for any sign of danger. At his actions she laughed and said, "Oh don't bother getting all protective now… I was close enough to death to taste it before my powers saved me. I called for you, but I guess you were - busy." By the end of that sentence her voice had taken on a deadly edge. With her new senses she could smell the guilt radiating off of him as well as the suffocating scent of clay, death, and graveyard dirt that always seemed to hang around Kikyo. Seriously, she wondered how his sensitive nose could stand it when she herself was fighting her gag reflex. "I just dropped by to tell you that you won't have to worry about me getting in the way of your little corpse romance anymore. You were only ever holding me back from reaching my true potential anyways. So have fun with the dead chick 'kay?" she said before turning around and following her nose back to their camp on the beach. Inuyasha was speechless. He had absolutely no clue what had just happened, but he could not help feeling as if he had lost something.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He smelled the change in her before she came in to view. Where before she only hinted at power, now strength flowed from her aura and caused her sweet scent to have a slight charge beneath it. His beast growled its approval at the change and he too agreed that the power she now displayed was enticing. But as he sniffed the air once more, he could not help but wonder at the _other _difference he smelled. She no longer smelled entirely human. She smelled as youkai smelled; she smelled of power. Yet he could still scent mortality on her. It was truly puzzling, but he could not help thinking of the possibilities it presented. If she was indeed as strong as his senses indicated (and his senses were never wrong), then he could accept her as a mate without disgracing his line. If he mated her, her lifespan would grow to match his and her strength would ensure him strong pups. He had interesting theories on how her miko powers would affect this matter, but he was certain she could produce full blooded youkai pups. This combined with her spiritual powers made him wonder if his any of his pups would inherit them. He could see their power now in his mind, and he wanted it to be reality. In that moment all of his thoughts focused on how to get the miko to agree to be his mate. He did not anticipate difficulty for he did not find himself lacking in any category. However, her attachment to his idiot of a half-brother could prove to be an obstacle. She sauntered into camp with a lithe grace that had not been present before, and he could not contain his damned inu curiosity. "What has happened to you, miko? You seem different to this Sesshomaru…" he asked in a low voice. When she walked up to him she teased him by running a single finger down his bare chest. "Is it a bad different?" she asked back with a playful glint in her cerulean eyes. He caught her hand and lightly nipped the offending finger before whispering back in a rumbling tone, "Not at all." He watched as she blushed and turned to sit on the futon she called a sleeping bag. Before she sat down he caught her by the waist and gave her neck an affectionate nuzzle before setting her down. A moment later, everyone returned to the campsite including the still confused hanyou. He watched as she prepared meals for everyone and smelled no hurt or lingering resentment in her scent. He knew that Inuyasha had gone to see the dead priestess and also knew that Kagome was aware of that fact, but he did not sense any feeling of sadness from her. It was like she did not care at all. He grinned inwardly. 'Maybe it will not be as hard to convince her as I previously assumed' he thought to himself. He glanced around at the group eating before him and decided to make an announcement. "I will be returning to the Western Lands with Rin and the miko" he stated. "Well it's about damn tim- wait, WHAT?!" the idiot hanyou sputtered as he choked on the ramen he was eating. "This Sesshomaru does not repeat himself half-breed" he said coldly. "Like hell! You're not takin' Kagome ANYWHERE, she's _mine_!" Inuyasha spat, jumping to his feet. Sesshomaru growled at the challenge, but was cut off by a different snarl. Kagome had also gotten to her feet and was letting her aura flare out in response to his words. "How _dare _you. I'm not _your_ ANYTHING!" she growled out. His beast purred at her strength. **'She will make a fine mate. The miko is strong and she matches us well'** his beast said in his mind. Sesshomaru could not help but agree as she fiercely defended herself to the hanyou's claim. Inuyasha was cowed by the immense pressure of her aura and his ears were laid back against his skull as his beast recognized that she was stronger, even if his mind did not. Deciding to get back to the matter at hand, he turned to her. "Kagome, will you return with this Sesshomaru or not? I will train you and you will be able to finish your quest along with me" he said to her. She looked to him with surprised eyes. She was confused at his request but was not against it either. She looked again at Inuyasha and seemed to make a decision. Turning back to him she asked, "May I take Shippou with me?" "Hn" he allowed. It would do Rin well to have a playmate her age anyways. She brightened up and turned to her other friends. Looking to Sango first she held out her arms. The two embraced and he heard Kagome say, "You know why I have to leave right?" the slayer hugged her tighter and said back, "But I still wish you didn't have to go." They held each other while both holding back tears until Kagome leaned back in order to continue her goodbyes. Miroku was next in line and as they hugged, his forever roaming hands were for once at bay. She released him with a stern "You treat my Sango right or I will make sure you are the first monk to go to hell". When she finally looked at Inuyasha, the tears she had been holding in finally spilled over. She embraced him as well and said, "You will always be my friend, but I will never settle for being a replacement." He nodded mutely because for once there were no words he could say.

The next few hours were spent packing up camp and having as much fun as possible before they parted ways. When it was finally time to leave, everyone had come to terms with the decision. As the four left the beach behind, Sesshomaru thought that it was lucky Rin had chosen the beach. He would soon have a beautiful mate and powerful heirs, but there was one thing he could not forget. Pulling Kagome close to his side he leaned down to whisper lightly in her ear, "I do hope you packed that 'bikini' for this Sesshomaru intends to see it again in a more- intimate setting." He enjoyed the blush that spread across her cheeks as she muttered, "Hentai." As the sun set and they left the beach far behind, he could not help the small smile that planted itself upon his usually stoic features. He knew his life would not lack excitement in the future, and looked forward to experiencing it all with her.

**A/N:** Whew! That was a long one… if anyone even bothered reading to this point, pretty please review and tell me what you think. It was just a oneshot, but I kind of liked the idea and _might_ write a follow up chapter, but I really don't feel like going through the trouble if you all hated the first one. So please review! Comments, questions, flames, and help are all appreciated.

**DC:** So I'm hiding from Maru-chan because I don't think he noticed I'm taking a break from my other story yet.

**Sesshomaru:** *Appears* Foolish woman… as if you could hide from this Sesshomaru.

**DC:** *Yelps and tries to run away*

**Sesshomaru:** You _will_ return and update your other story. *Drags DC away*

**DC:** Ciao for now! I'll be chained to my computer chair until I finish the next chapter for my other story apparently. *Cries as she is dragged away*

**Credits:** So the lullaby was inspired by the first portion of "Lullaby for a Princess" by Ponyphonic. (YouTube it, it's so pretty!)

**Things to know:**

_**Necrophilia**_= sexual intercourse with or attraction toward corpses.

_**Hentai **_= pervert


	2. The Mating Mark Part 1

**A/N:** Ok, so since people seemed to like it, I chose to write a follow up chapter. It's not going to be as focused on humorous situations (although there will be humor) like the first one, but here you go… \(^v^)/ ….. p.s. Settle in because this one is REALLY long. Also, I broke it into parts so it wouldn't be so terrifying lol.

**To All Who Read This: **I love you all so much! I started writing fan fiction for fun, so I didn't expect anything to come of it. The fact that so many people read it, and presumably enjoyed it, is extremely flippin' cool!

But my most special thanks go to the people who actually took time to leave reviews. You guys are too cool for words, and the biggest reason I took time to make this oneshot into a twoshot.

**Arrianna Blood: **Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and your review helped me decide to do this. Thumbs up to first reviewer, by the way! When I saw your review I honestly squealed like a little girl! (~*v*)~

**Atsila:** He probably would have, but I wanted things to go relatively smoothly for them (But will it stay that way for long? he he he). Thanks for the review though, I love advice!

**Mouse:** Thanks for pointing that out! I'll do my best to fix that so it will be easier to read. Tell me if I do it right this time!

**Aranza27:** You're telling ME! It took forever to write, but I'm glad you liked it. (I also hate when Kagome is all whiny and weak)

**AcidBurn01101:** POOF! *magical smoke* your wish has come true! I hope you like what happens next. *coughs and waves away magical smoke*

**Nightcoregirl: **OMG! You are awesome! I was in a school slump, but your review was the final push that made this happen.

**Disclaimer:** Why yes, I am Rumiko Takahashi and own Inuyasha and all of its characters! Except no… I'm not and most definitely don't. (Also, a bit of OOCness where needed)

***THERE WILL BE A LEMON***….. However your reading of the story will not be affected if you skip it… If you are under 18 or extremely offended by lemons, the back button awaits you! (If you are under 18, but STILL read this… what can I say? I may or may not be under 18 too!)

**Markings, Massages, and Mates, Oh Yes!**

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He was propped up against a large tree with one hand resting on his swords, and the other on his knee. They had been traveling back to his castle when Rin had spotted this area and begged to be brought here. It was a very large clearing closed in by a ring of trees. The clearing was a carpet of soft, lush grass covered completely with flowers. Kagome and Rin then spent a few moments making various adornments with the flowers. With wreaths of flowers in their hair and loops of flowers around their wrists and ankles, the two began a game of chase around the field. Shippou joined in and soon all three were running and laughing. Sesshomaru sat transfixed by the ethereal picture as sunlight fell across her face and lit up her azure eyes.

'What an enchanting creature' he thought to himself. His beast rumbled in approval. When his Kagome looked up and noticed him watching her, she whispered something to Rin. Rin nodded her head vigorously with a wide grin and the two began to talk quietly. Shippou would run around picking flowers before dropping his bounty into their laps. He admitted that he was at least a little bit curious as to what they were doing, but not enough to ask. Several minutes later Kagome was walking over to him. She held her hands behind her back and he admired the gracefulness of her light steps. When she reached his space beneath the tree, she sank to her knees. One silver eyebrow arched in question as she continued to move closer. When she seated herself in his lap, Sesshomaru's eyes widened fractionally and his beast growled his appreciation.

He noted the decidedly playful look in her eyes as he waited for her to explain her actions. She leaned in until her clear blue eyes were mere breaths away from his warm amber ones. She came ever so slowly closer, until all of a sudden he found himself in complete shock. She had put flowers in his hair! The great Daiyoukai of the West, the Killing Perfection was now wearing a flower wreath of his own. He growled questioningly and she laughed before pulling him in for a kiss.

~Kagome's POV~

He tasted like a summer storm, dangerous with a hint of something sweet. She sighed at the warm feeling of the kiss and he took advantage of her open mouth. Tongues slid together in an intimate dance and Kagome could feel the heat begin to grow within her. When she heard the sounds of the children coming near, she reluctantly pulled away. When she looked into Sesshomaru's eyes, there were dark and smoldering with desire. "Later" he rumbled in a deep voice that was rough with his want. The intensity of his gaze was such that she thought she would drown in the amber of his eyes as her stomach coiled in anticipation.

It was then that Rin jumped into the space they shared holding a flower chain of her own. She hesitantly reached out to Sesshomaru, afraid that he would reject her. Without a word, he lowered his head slightly towards her. Giggling with a toothy smile, Rin placed her flowers on his head. She smiled at the girl's happiness and could not help a giggle of her own upon seeing the Daiyoukai Sesshomaru wearing not one, but TWO flower wreaths in his hair.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

Sesshomaru was utterly entranced by the sound of her laughter. In any other situation, he would not have hesitated to cut down anyone who dared laugh at him. However, he found that even being the object of ridicule was not so bad if he could hear such a clear bell-like sound fall from those full lips. 'She is a very dangerous creature indeed to make me think such things' he thought to himself. When she noticed him staring, she bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing anymore. He immediately focused on that lip, remembering the feel of it as they moved together in a sensual battle for dominance; the softness of the skin under his fangs as he won and the sound of her breathless moans. Sesshomaru's eyes darkened to a smoldering shade of amber as these thoughts passed through his mind.

All of a sudden, a large pair of brown doe eyes took up his field of vision. "Sesshomaru-sama? Are you mad at Rin?" the small girl asked hesitantly. "No Rin, this Sesshomaru was simply in thought" he replied, setting her at ease. "However, we will be departing now. You may have a few minutes to prepare yourselves" he said. Shippou and Rin looked disappointed to be leaving the small paradise, but a quick word from Kagome and a promise of a reward later on got them up and moving. This was all well because Sesshomaru wished to return to his lands as quickly as possible. His Beast was also getting restless…

'_**We must take the Miko and Mark her as our own' **_his Beast growled.

'We must wait until she is ready' he replied, though he was also impatient.

'_**The Miko IS ready… We smelled the arousal in her scent. The Miko WANTS us. Why must we wait?!' **_his Beast raged, while simultaneously being pleased that their intended found them arousing.

'Do NOT forget your place!' Sesshomaru internally growled, 'This Sesshomaru remains in control, therefore if I say we will wait, we WILL wait.'

His Beast calmed down after that and remained silent. However, Sesshomaru could not help but agree. That is why they needed to quickly return. He growled when he thought about the pleasures that would await him upon their arrival.

~Kagome's POV~

She had noticed the change in his eyes, but unlike what Rin had thought, she knew that the expression was not one of anger. It had been pure lust. Sensuality emanated from his ivory skin in intense waves. If Rin had not interrupted their eye contact, she was fairly sure she would have fallen apart under his gaze. It was too powerful, HE was too powerful. She could practically smell the power pouring off of him, and that was while he was suppressing it. It drew her even more to him in her new form. Her heightened senses told her so many things her old ones could not. Now she could smell the subtle changes in his scent that indicated he was aroused. She could hear steady beat of his youkai heart and she could feel the slight tingle as her reiki mixed with his youki whenever she touched him. All in all it was an exhilarating effect to say the least.

Now they that they were traveling again, she took a moment to reflect on what had happened to her. She obviously had certain youkai traits, but to what extent? She didn't feel immortal, so that was probably out. (Although, what does immortality even feel like?) However, she did have all of the physical senses that youkai seemed to posses. As for features, when she had looked in a mirror earlier, the differences were small, but noticeable. Her face had lost a bit of its baby fat, giving her a more mature look. Her ears were now ever so slightly pointed, as were her teeth. Her hair was thicker, but not as easily tangled as before (A fact she was extremely excited about after years of daily wrestling matches with a comb). And lastly, her eyes seemed to be a complicated blue that was both brighter but deeper in color than before.

She was pleased with the changes overall, but she couldn't help the small insecurities that popped up in the back of her mind. Would Sesshomaru not find her as attractive as before now that she had changed? What had he even liked about her in the first place? After all, no matter how many youkai features she took on, she was still simply a ningen. 'No. Sesshomaru is _not_ Inuyasha' she thought to herself. If he didn't like her he wouldn't bother with her and she would definitely not be on her way to his castle. However, even with the proof his nature provided her, years of insecurity had ingrained worthlessness into her head. She couldn't help but feel like any minute he would get tired of her and leave.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He had been watching her for a while now. It was a curious sight. She had gone from speculative, to hopeless, to angered, to relieved until finally her face seemed to settle on apprehension. He did not like the way her furrowed brows knit together to create a small divot between them. Though it did not mar her beauty, it seemed proof that something was troubling her. It angered him because it was a symbol of his cluelessness against an enemy he could not simply fight in order to vanquish. After waiting a short while and seeing no change in her features, Sesshomaru decided to do something he had never thought he would do in his entire immortal life. He would attempt to comfort another being.

She had been steadily falling behind the group, so he kept pace with her until the kids and Jaken were out of sight, but still within earshot. Then he cornered her.

~Kagome's POV~

She was still brooding over her inferiority complex when she found herself up against a tree trapped between two unyielding arms. She gasped and looked up into a pair of narrowed amber eyes. "What troubles you Kagome?" Sesshomaru asked. Hold up. Rewind What? Did Sesshomaru seriously ask about her well being? That had to be a rarity if not a first. "Why am I here? Why do you even like me? I mean, no matter how I've changed, I'm still human and I make most of my decisions based on how I feel rather than thinking it through. On the other hand, you're perfect down to your freaking hair! It doesn't make sense for you to like me!" she answered in a burst of emotion.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He growled. "Do you think this Sesshomaru would settle for anything less than the most worthy? I accompany you because you are powerful despite your humanity. Your ability to think with your heart only adds to your beauty" he said. As he spoke, he pulled her to him in a manner he assumed to be comforting. As he held her he noticed, not for the first time, how well she fit into his embrace. His beast growled lustfully at the feel of her body flush against his and if he did not have such flawless control, he would have taken her right there. As it was he could smell her distress. He would not take her like this. When he took her it would be under much more _desirable_ conditions and she would not be able to think of anything but him.

~Kagome's POV~

"Are you for real right now?" She asked with incredulity laced in her tone. "This Sesshomaru is right in front of you. What reason do you have to doubt this Sesshomaru's reality?" he asked with a completely straight face. Oh. Right. In the Feudal Era they didn't have phrases like that. The fact that he had taken it the way he did was to be expected, but she couldn't help but giggle at the confusion she knew he felt, but would never show. The small twitch in his eyebrow that appeared at her giggle didn't help and soon she was having a full on laugh attack in his arms. The more confused his eyes got the more funny it all seemed. When he let a small growl slip from his teeth, she tried her best to hold it in. She smiled her most winning smile and quickly gave him a chaste kiss to the lips. "You were just too cute there, I had to" she explained. "You were trying to make me feel better right?" she asked with a grin.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

"Cute?" he asked. "This Sesshomaru is not _cute_" he said with all of the indignance of a man. He was a warrior! A vicious monster as sleek and deadly as a blade. Such an image could certainly not be likened to bunnies, or any other small creatures associated with the word _'cute'_. She put her small hands on each side of his head, presumably in order to gain his wandering attention. He looked into those deep blue eyes that seemed to draw out every emotion he had thought long dead. "I'm sorry," she said, "You are a fearsome being with formidable skills. Definitely not cute." She said this with the utmost seriousness, but he could see the mirth swimming in her azure gaze. "Thank you for making me feel better" she continued with real seriousness this time. He decided to uplift her mood once more as well as retaliate for the usage of the word 'cute'. Leaning in until his lips were a breath away from her ears, he lowered his voice into a seductive whisper, "I know _other _ways to make you feel better as well." He kissed her lightly around her mouth without touching her lips. "Would you like for me to help you feel better?" he asked with lust dripping from every syllable. He heard her sharp intake of breath and smirked, knowing that all joking was done and over with. He was unfamiliar with dealing with other people's feelings, but _this _he knew well. The subtle tang of citrus that settled over her scent like a fog was easily identifiable. Her arousal and the things that would please her were second nature to him. Caught up in these thoughts as he was, he almost did not hear it when she uttered a soft "yes".

He dipped his head in and caught her lips in a sensual embrace. His tongue slid along her bottom lip and grazed it with a fang. When she gasped, he took the opportunity to enter the warm cavern of her mouth. Their tongues engaged in a complicated dance with each trying to lead the other. After a time, Sesshomaru took control of the kiss and thoroughly tasted every part of her. They remained connected to each other this way for a little while before he pulled away. "We are very close to arriving at my castle. If we do not stop now, I will not stop, and I am sure you would prefer a more private venue" he said with his tone making the last part a bit of a question.

~Kagome's POV~

When her kiss dazed brain processed what he had said, she felt the blush bloom on her cheeks and race towards the roots of her hair. She couldn't believe she had actually had a break down turned make out session with Sesshomaru. With the kids near by no less! And he kept alluding to the time when he would finally take her. If it wasn't with his words, it was with his actions. If it wasn't with his actions, it was in his eyes. Those eyes that spoke of dangerous fun. The amber depths that always seemed to follow her and darken with want when they met with her own blue eyes. 'Kami! I have _gotta _get my mind outta the gutter' she internally scolded herself when she was unable to suppress a shiver of pleasure at her own thoughts. They caught up to the kids and continued walking, but she still couldn't rid herself of the heat that had taken over her body at his touch.

~Inuyasha's POV~ (A/N had to have him here for much needed relief from constant SessKag tension)

The small group of Inuyasha, Kikyou, Miroku and Sango had been wandering around for a while. Although he knew that Kikyou was not really leading them anywhere, he refused to admit it or ask anybody else what they thought. He just kept walking. After Kagome had left with his asshole of a half-brother, they had been on an aimless search for more of the jewel shards. He had always told her that if it was Kikyou, she would be able to do it, but he also always knew it was a false statement. When he first met her, he knew right away that she was a different class of miko than Kikyou. So much raw power was stored up inside of her that he could smell it. But he wanted her to stay with him. If she knew that she could handle things without his help there would be no reason for her to stick around.

Now the thing he most didn't want to happen did and she ran off with his stupid half-brother. She had completely misunderstood him! The reason he always ran off to Kikyou was not because he loved her more, but rather because he loved Kagome so much. Since he was a hanyou, his demonic urges were rarely able to be controlled. Especially the times he went into heat. If he didn't get relief when he felt the first stirrings of his heat, he would end up losing control. Losing control would mean grabbing the nearest unmarked female of breeding age and fuck her senseless. And who was the nearest unmarked female of breeding age? Kagome. Sango was scent marked by Miroku, though neither of them knew about it. It was different for humans because they had no physical markings. Their version of marking was done through scent, but as humans can't smell their own natural scents for the most part, they carry on oblivious. This left Kagome vulnerable to his demon side. He had tried to take care of himself, but as he continued to get more powerful, his nature began getting harder to hold back.

When Kikyou was resurrected, there were no more signs of real life in her and he felt as if the woman that he fell in love with was still dead. The new Kikyou was a slut and an emotionless husk that bore the name of his past lover. The first time he went to see her, she had jumped him and tried to get him to take her. That's when he knew for sure that any scrap of his old Kikyou was gone forever. That also served as the time he finally found a solution to his growing problem. If she really wanted _it_, he would give it to her. And so he started to look for her whenever he needed to satisfy an urge. He would see her soul creatures and meet her away from the group. Then they would fuck and he would go back. He didn't even have to worry about pups because she was just a clay figure with a soul. She lacked the necessities to bear children. The eerie part was that even though she continually asked for sex and he continually used her for it, she never gave any outward signs of pleasure. It never seemed like he was fucking another person, just a shell of one.

That day he had been feeling kind of excited so he went to find her. Just when they were about to get down to business, Kagome had popped up out of nowhere and started acting all weird. Sure she had walked in on them before, but this time he could just tell that it was different. When he looked into her eyes he didn't find hurt or resentment. Instead he saw nothing. It had scared him. If there was pain or hatred in her gaze, at least that meant she was thinking about him. As long as she thought about him he still had a chance. Now there were no chanc-

-CRASH-

While deep within his own thoughts, the hanyou had neglected to look where he was going causing him to walk headfirst into a tree. Sango and Miroku who had been watching him while he went through all of these emotions could not hold back their laughs. "Inu- Inuya- Inuyasha!" Sango said through her giggles, "you should ha- have seen your f- face!" "Yes," the monk said with a hearty chuckle, "It's nice to know you wish to _branch_ out from your usually angry expression." Everyone looked at the monk. The monk had unfortunately chosen that exact moment to try and take a feel of his beloved Sango's backside. "HENTAAAAI! That. wasn't. Even. FUNNY!" Sango screamed while punctuating her words with blows to the monk's head. "But my dear Sango, I was simply giving thanks to the kamis that gave you such an inviting figure" Miroku reasoned, "I _am _a monk after all. Is it not my duty to worship and appreciate what the kamis have given?" He said this all while wiggling his eyebrows seductively and inching his hand closer to Sango once more. While she listened to him, Sango's face started to turn red all the way to her roots. "You STUPID HENTAI MONK!" Sango said and gave chase wielding hiraikotsu. The two lovers chased each other around until both were tired and collapsed on the soft grass of the meadow they had been stopped at.

All the while a certain hanyou was having trouble processing all that was going on. One minute he was thinking about all the things that were wrong with his life and the next Sango was chasing Miroku with major killing intent. And he had been hit by a _tree_! Kikyo watched all of this with no change in her facial expression. Kagome would have laughed or been concerned, then she would have told him it'd take more than a tree to get through his thick skull. They would bicker playfully and both would know the other didn't mean anything by it. Were those days really over for him? No. He wouldn't let her go so easily. "Kikyo, Miroku, Sango" he said gaining the group's attention, "We're goin' to the West." "May I ask why we are stopping to travel in the opposite direction?" questioned Miroku. "I'm gonna get Kagome back" he said. Silence quickly overtook the earlier mood.

"Why? She left us _because_ of you. We should respect her wishes" Sango said with a bit of venom in her tone. "I'm sure she will tell us when she is ready to see us again" she said a little more softly. "keh" he scoffed, "like I would wait for that to happen." He couldn't wait for it to happen, after all, it probably would never happen if his asshole half-brother had anything to do with it. "We're leavin' now, so quit yer yappin'" he said when Sango mumbled something about stupid stubborn hanyous. "No! why can't you listen to other people for once?" she said with the bite back in her tone. "Sango" Miroku started. "Stop Miroku, I don't wanna hear it, he needs to get it through his thick skull that we cannot be ordered around like slaves according to his whims" she said, venting the frustrations she had felt for the past week or so. "So what? This is _my_ pack. If I say we go, we're goin'" Inuyasha said with a bit of a growl. "Besides, I don't think she's safe with my asshole brother. He hates humans and mikos most of all. Don't you think it's strange that he would all of a sudden want to take her to his castle? I'm worried… even if I don't have a right to be" he said more calmly with sadness thick in his tone. Sango was clearly still upset with his treatment of them, but upon reflection, it seemed that she considered his point and was sufficiently worried herself.

~Sango's POV~

At the time they had sent Kagome and Shippo off, she had felt nothing but embarrassment at the hanyous presumed actions. Sango had thought nothing of Sesshomaru's past history nor Kagome's fate, she simply felt bad for her. She did not want Kagome to suffer any longer in the presence of Inuyasha and so she sent her off with a hug and a smile. Did she only succeed in helping Kagome "out of the frying pan, and into the fire"? An expression that Kagome had taught her… That settled it. As much as she did not like Inuyasha's brash attitude about it, she would go along with his plans. If once they arrived at Sesshomaru's castle she saw that Kagome was safe and happy, she would drag the hanyou away by his hair if she had to. However, on that same note, if she had been harmed or mistreated in any way, Sango would do whatever it took to get her out of Sesshomaru's clutches. "We'll go to the West, but if she is happy, we will leave her be. So help me I will hurt you if you try to ruin her happiness Inuyasha" she said with enough warning in her voice to let him know she was serious. All he said was, "Keh, whatever let's go" but she knew he had understood by the way his jaw had tightened and his ears twitched. And so they started their journey to the West.


	3. The Mating Mark Part 2

~Kagome's POV~

Oh. My. Kami. This place was HUGE! Kagome almost couldn't comprehend how a place this far in the past could be so big. They had been walking through the forest, when all of a sudden this monstrous castle loomed before them. It was easily taller than the surrounding trees, so she was surprised that they had not seen it earlier. With a stone base that rose about fifteen feet, the castle evolved into a complex structure of roofs and walkways. The roofs were all of the traditional style of sloping triangles. They were tiled with what seemed to be jade or a similar stone. The areas above entryways were ornately decorated with vibrant reds and golds. The rest of the large construct was made of dark wood and lined with shoji screens. She stood there gaping like a fish until she heard a mesmerizing deep throated chuckle from behind her. That rich melted chocolate voice could only belong to one person. "Sesshomaru! All of this is _yours_?" she could not help the disbelief that creeped into her voice as she asked this. "You doubt the worth of this Sesshomaru?" he asked with a smirk and one perfect eyebrow arched in question. "N-no, but man this place is so BIG! And it's so nice too, although knowing you, all of this does make a bit of sense. After all what would a perfect Sesshomaru be if he didn't have a perfect house to go along with perfect confidence and perfect hair. Not to mention a perfect body and a perfect voice…" she rambled. 'KAMI I'm rambling and he can hear me and I just want to crawl into a hole and disappear' she thought frantically while frozen stiff at the shock of what she had just said aloud.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

His Beast was preening at the sound of his intended's verbal appraisal and approval of him. Sesshomaru was watching in amusement as she said things she did not seem to be aware she was saying. If he had any less than the perfect control he wielded over his emotions, he most likely would have laughed at her expression when she realized she had been speaking aloud. She had been carrying on about his perfection with a sort of dazed look until she seemed to remember his presence and then it was as if she choked on her own words. Her mouth kept opening and closing as if she wanted to say something more, but lacked either the words or the breath. After a few moments of watching this entertaining scene, his Beast began to respond to the levels of distress rolling off of her in waves. _**'We must comfort the Miko'**_it demanded. This was one area that Sesshomaru would did not hesitate to agree with his Beast in. Pulling her to him he made a rumbling noise deep in his throat. It was an action he had seen used to comfort females before, but never cared to try himself. It seemed to work. As the vibrations left his throat and traveled down Kagome's body, her heart rate slowed and the frantic jumping of her aura ceased. "This Sesshomaru is quite pleased that you find him perfect in this many ways, and can assure you he always surrounds himself with perfection, yourself included. And you must get used to this level of care for it is all soon to be yours as well" he said to her in the most comforting tone he could muster, although not without a hint arrogance.

~Rin and Shippo's POV~

When they had arrived at the castle, she grabbed Shippo's hand and raced to the gardens. "Come on Shippo! Rin wants to show you her most favorite place!" she said with much enthusiasm. Shippo was blushing at the connection of their hands, but was overwhelmed by childish excitement over a promisingly fun place. All of a sudden Rin stopped. When Shippo looked to her in confusion she explained, "Rin wants Kagome nee-sama to see it too!" They ran back towards the area they had left the two, but when they rounded the corner, they could not believe their eyes. Sesshomaru was hugging Kagome! Rin grabbed Shippo and hurried out of sight. "R-R-Rin! That was _Sesshomaru _hugging _Kagome_! What do you think is going on? Does he like her?" Shippo asked in a whisper. "Sesshomaru-sama has never acted this way with anyone before… Do you think Kagome nee-sama is going to be Rin's new momma?!" Rin whispered back. "Would that make Sesshomaru my new papa?" Shippo also asked. "We could be family!" they both whisper shouted. "Let's not tell them that we know," Shippo said, "they might get embarrassed." "We should help them though" Rin said. "Okay, here's the plan…" Shippo started, and the two of them came up with a plan to get Sesshomaru and Kagome together.

~Kagome's POV~

'All mine?' she thought. That was crazy! How could all of this be hers too? It was too much! Leaning away from his embrace she said, "Sesshomaru, how could I possibly have all of this? I have you and that is enough for me. All of these things are temporary, but you are forever." It was probably the cheesiest thing she could say to him or anybody, but it was also the most true. He had seemed a bit upset when she pulled away, but when he listened to her words the warmth she had come to love entered his eyes and turned them to molten gold. It was really true what they said in all of those stupid songs she used to make fun of. When you found love it was like nothing else in the world mattered.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

"Be that as it may, you can and will have both. It is my greatest pleasure to give you anything you might desire" he said looking into her cobalt eyes. It was true, he was finding that as he grew more and more attached to this little miko, he was no longer content in simply pleasing himself. He found that he was happiest when she was. "And what if I said I desired _you_?" she said, her gaze darkening. "Then you shall have me as well" he replied, looking deep into the eyes of his beautiful and brazen miko. They held that pose for a while before the sound of her stomach growling reached his sensitive ears. "But first it seems my little miko is in need of sustenance" he teased with a fanged grin. She blushed a deep red at her own uncontrollable actions. It was indeed as she termed it 'too cute'. Scooping her up in his arms, he began walking towards the entrance to his castle. "Do not fret, this Sesshomaru is grateful your body is always honest" he said in a low voice with an affectionate nuzzle to her neck.

~Kagome's POV~

She couldn't believe he was carrying her bridal style through his castle. The inside of it was just as brilliant as the outside. Everywhere was a wash of gold and amber, reminding Kagome of Sesshomaru's eyes. The detail was incredible! Every piece of wood was ornately carved, down to the supporting posts. All of the carvings were different depictions of wolves, at least from what little Kagome could see as she was currently. Kagome could feel her face flame a brilliant shade of red under the curious gazed of the castles servants. She tucked her head into his chest and sought comfort in the strong and steady beat of his heart. She heard him tell a servant to find Ri and Shippo and another one to have dinner set out. Kagome had no idea how they were going to do all of this by the time they reached wherever the dining area was, but apparently this was not something they were unused to. Every servant in the area came to life, moving with efficient precision. She could not hide her skeptical expression. How would they do it? There was no way! But sure enough, as they walked into a large area with a long table and tall chairs, Rin and Shippo sat before a fully prepared feast.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

As he set her down in a chair next to his own, he noticed the children were awfully quiet for all the ruckus they had made earlier. "Rin" he called. "Hai Sesshomaru-sama!" she chirped back. "What is it that you two are whispering so conspiratorially over there?" he asked with stern suspicion. "We're talking about the garden! Not consp- conspir- cospirit- whatever you said" the fox kit replied whilst Rin nodded a little too enthusiastically However, he could scent no lie on either of them so he would be content in this answer for now. After he was seated, he motioned for the servants to begin serving the food. As food was served, he watched his Kagome's face. At the first bite, her face broke out into an expression of surreal bliss, and a luxurious moan exited her full lips. Where before he found feasts exceptionally boring, he now had something very interesting to look forward too if today was any indication.

~Kagome's POV~

Kagome's mind was a melted pool of pleasure. She had no idea what she was eating, but if pure bliss had a flavor, she had found it. The strong warring harmony of flavors was like a complicated dance that was executed perfectly. The wonderful balance between sweet, sour and spice was what elicited a moan from her. 'Did I just moan at a dinner table?' she asked herself. 'Ah who cares? This is delicious' was her own half formed reply. When she had finished eating every bit of whatever that magnificent dish was, she looked up to realize she had the eyes of everybody present. The children were giggling and Sesshomaru had a lazy grin on his face that made her heart turn to jello. She was embarrassed at how she seemed like a starved animal, but she just _had _to know what she just ate was. "What _was_ that?" she asked with awe in her voice. "Roasted boar with honey and herbs" Sesshomaru told her. That… was _it_? Was she really that hungry, or were Sesshomaru's cooks just that good? Either way she would definitely not mind staying if it meant eating things like that on a daily basis.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

After Kagome's sensual dinner display, he found it harder to reign in his desire for her. He knew that now in his own castle, there would be nothing to stop him from taking her. After dinner, she and Rin had gone out to the gardens upon Rin's insistence. That was why he was puzzled when Rin came back alone. "Rin, where is Kagome?" he asked. "Kagome nee-sama is in the gardens!" Rin replied. Why would she remain in the gardens? It was already dark outside. "You and Shippo are to go to bed" he dictated. "See that it happens" he commanded a nearby servant, "Also make sure that the gardens are clear of everyone but Kagome and myself."

~Kagome's POV~

Now this was just heavenly. First good food and now _this_! She was reveling in the warm caress of the hot spring that Rin had shown her. It had been nestled in the center of the complex maze of flowers, but it was definitely worth the trouble it took to get here. The light scent of flowers floated through the air on a small, but comforting breeze and the steam curled up from the water and rose up high making patterns in the night sky before disappearing in the light of the full moon. She sank further into the water… yup, this was definitely something she could get used to. However it _was_ dark and she had sent Rin back a while ago. If she didn't go back soon, Sesshomaru would probably be upset.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He entered the gardens and followed her scent. He noticed that the soft perfume of the flowers were not overpowering, but only complemented her natural scent. Her scent led him farther and farther into the gardens and he was beginning to worry that she had gotten lost in the expanse of his lands. Finally, when he had reached the center of the gardens, he found her. And what a sight he found. She had just left the hot springs and was using a towel to dry her hair and body. His eyes were glued to the path of the towel on her body as she dried herself. First it passed over and around each of her full breasts, then it glided down the flat plane of her stomach. Briefly the towel disappeared between her legs to dry her womanhood and the strong heady scent that came from that one action was almost enough to lure him from his current position. Thankfully the towel resumed its sinful journey down her long slim legs before finally being wrapped around her torso.

This would not do. This would not do at all. The only thing in the way of him seeing the sight he most wanted to see was that towel. His Beast roared within the confines of his mind, _**'Take it away! We must see our miko and she must see us. Remove the obstacle and possess her!'**_ For once he was in complete agreement with his beast on the matter. Stepping out of the shadows, he advanced upon Kagome from behind. When he trapped her in his arms, she gave a surprised yelp. However, he wrapped his youki around her reiki and she knew that it was him. "S-Sesshomaru? What are you doing here? How did you even know where I was?" she questioned, her breath hitching on his name when his hold caused the towel to brush across her breasts in just the right way. He felt bathed in the scent of her arousal which fed his own insatiable hunger. "These _are_ my gardens," he said in a low tone, "I simply followed a beautiful scent." He said this, all the while placing small kisses along her her neck. The place just below her ear was the sweetest, so he gave a long lick of appreciation.

~Kagome's POV~

Had he just licked her? When she felt the warm kisses leave her neck she had been disappointed, but when something warm and wet traveled from the base of her neck to just behind her ear, she gave a breathy moan. That. Was. Hot. She didn't know if she ever would have allowed someone else to lick her like that, but when Sesshomaru did it, she could see it lasting forever. "This towel," he said using one hand to trace quickly up her thigh and stomach and back down, "is in my way." Her emotions were quickly scattered like petals of flowers in the wind. The skittering sensations of pleasure he had induced through that touch alone were not enough, she wanted more…

_*Lemony stuff*_ (A/N: just a minor warning now, real stuff comes a bit later)

She leaned away from his embrace and the intoxicating smell of a summer storm. He growled when she pulled away, but the look in her dark blue eyes was enough to let him know that things were far from over. when she was fully out of his reach, she slowly let the towel slip from her body.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

When he had felt her lean away from his affections his Beast was outraged. _**'We have waited long for the Miko and yet she pulls away? WHY?' **_his Beast roared. It was all he could do to keep his youki from flooding the area in an oppressive way. And then she turned around. Her eyes were the midnight sky trapped in a depthless gaze. They were half-lidded in a sensual look he never thought he would see on the little miko, but decided he would like to see many more times. As she let the towel slide from her form, he could not keep the growl of carnal appreciation that slipped through his lips. She was absolutely perfect, and she would be _his_. Sesshomaru admired her slender neck and the way it flowed into her narrow shoulders. he loved the way her collar bones were delicately shaped and almost pointed to her full breasts. Her nipples were a dusky pink and stood at attention under his appraising gaze. The flat plane of her midsection with a slight dip going in a straight line from her breasts to her hips. He followed that line of sight, noticing the way her hip bones were pronounced as if they were leading the way to greater things.

His eyes landed on the small patch of midnight curls and stepped forward. He could hear the rise in heartbeat, but knew not whether it was from nervousness or anticipation. When he reached her, her face was turned down towards the ground in what he assumed to be embarrassment. He lifted her chin to meet her gaze and said softly, "You are the most enchantingly beautiful creature I have yet to encounter. Do not doubt that truth and be confident in my desire for you always." He felt the anxious energy retreat from her aura and knew that she had heard his words. "Kiss me Sesshomaru" she said with clear eyes reflecting the light of the moon. Kiss her he did. It was a soft and slow burning kiss as he moved his hands from her neck down her back, feeling every dip and contour as he moved. When he reached the curve of her rear, he could not help but marvel at the soft firmness of it. Hands dipping low to explore the new area, he smoothed over it a few times with strong hands before squeezing with gentle fascination. How could his miko be so soft and yet have the strength he knew her to possess at the same time? His actions were drawing soft little moans from her.

~Kagome's POV~

She couldn't believe the sensations he was bringing her right now. His hands were roaming all over her body pulling her attention to so many different places at the same time. His mouth had moved from hers to her neck and his tongue and teeth were tracing patterns into the sensitive flesh. When her nipples brushed once more against the silk of his haori, she decided that he was wearing entirely too many clothes. "Take it off" she whispered in a breathy voice as she tugged on the fabric. He moved so fast she couldn't comprehend it. One moment they were standing together and he was clothed, the next she lay beneath him in the soft grass feeling every contour of his body pressed against hers.

***LEMON STUFF STARTS NOW*** (skip if you don't like it, there will be another note telling when it is over)

Was that what she thought it was? She felt her whole body flush with heat as she felt something hard against her thigh. However, Sesshomaru didn't even give her a chance to feel embarrassed because his mouth was everywhere again. She felt a fang graze her nipple and her mind went blank. "Ah- Aahn" she cried. Was that sound from her? Kagome didn't know she was capable of such a sound, but apparently that was far from the last time.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

Such a lovely sound she made. When he had brushed a fang against one of her hardened peaks, she had responded by arching her back and releasing a beautiful cry of pleasure. Never one to waste opportunities, he did it once more. Again he was rewarded with the same response. Now that he had found this new form of pleasurable amusement, he would not let it go so easily. With a feral smirk he turned his attention to the small pink points, laving one entirely with his tongue before giving it a light nip. Kagome had been breathing out little wanton moans while he worked, but when she felt his teeth close around the sensitive nub, she gave a yelp. He enjoyed teasing her and so he did it repeatedly, first to one and then the other. All of this while, his hands kept moving. One used clawed finger tips to lightly trail down her spine, enjoying the resounding shivers, before traveling to the aid of his mouth in the pleasuring of her breasts. The other hand had been playing with the delectable flesh of her bottom for a while until he decided it was time to start preparing her.

Sesshomaru came off of her a bit, moving more to her side than on top of her. While trapping her mouth in another searing kiss, he moved that hand towards her heat. The scent of her arousal that had been intoxicating him grew stronger, and he knew it would not take too much for him to lose control. Dragging one finger along her slit, he felt her gasp against his lips. A little fear tainted her scent when he did this. "Y- Your cla- claws" she panted, "Won't they hurt?" He did not want to ruin the moment with the scent of her fear, for she was not meant to fear him and he had no desire of her fear. Placing light kisses on her eyelids and on her mouth, he said, "Do you trust me?" He did not use his traditional third person speech in order to emphasize the trust and intimacy he himself felt around her. "Yes" was her immediate reply, and with it the fear clouding her scent disappeared leaving only her pleasant aroma behind.

Having her consent, he decided to change his previous course of actions. He did not want her to be frightened of his touch, so instead he would begin with a different approach. His lips leaving hers, he set a blazing trail of nips and licks down her pliant body. When he reached the apex of her thighs, he buried his nose in her silky black curls, breathing in the heady scent of her arousal. His eyes took on a red tint as his mind became clouded with her scent and his control slipped further. Moving slightly downward, he gave an experimental lick along her slit.

~Kagome's POV~

The moment his tongue snaked out to taste her, she hissed in surprise and tried to close her legs. Of course they did nothing to deter him. He looked up at her with a delicious half smirk and said,"Trust me." The sight of his molten gold eyes staring at her from his position between her legs was embarrassing, but hot at the same time. Tilting her head to the side, she relaxed her legs once more and let the sensations take over her mind. His mouth continued probing along her sex until he reached the small bundle of nerves above her entrance. When he licked the small bud, she swore she saw stars. The feeling of his slightly rough tongue on her most sensitive part was almost too much. without a thought running through her mind, she let out a long moan of strangled pleasure. After that entirely humiliating noise, she expected him to stop. However it seemed that Sesshomaru did not share those thoughts as instead of stopping, the pace at which he played with her clit only increased. As the small pearl became swollen with her arousal, he continued to lick and suck at it, even lightly grazing a fang over it. She had yipped a bit when he had used his teeth and she could feel his grin against her womanhood.

However, as the moments drew on, the constant pleasure she was receiving was not enough. The that offered her so much bliss was beginning to feel like a beautifully slow torture. "Mo- more" she panted. In answer to her request, she felt a slender finger enter her. Where before she had been frightened of his claws, she now welcomed it with a lust glazed mind. It felt strange at first. A sort of stretching sensation that was uncomfortable but not painful. He continued to slide his finger in and out until she got used to the rhythm. Meanwhile he continued using his mouth to tease her clit. The dual pleasures increased as he added another finger. She had been afraid of his claws, but they didn't affect her. His mouth left her core in order to kiss her once more. His tongue was hot and playful as it enticed her once again into a passionate dance. When he added a third finger to her slick passage, she felt lost in the feelings she was receiving. All of a sudden, he hit a particular spot and her whole body tensed as she climaxed with a garbled rendition of his name.

Sesshomaru broke the kiss to ask, "Are you prepared? Once we begin I will no longer have full reign of my beast and will not stop." She recognized his question through the lusty haze and nodded her assent. "I don't want you to stop" she said, squeezing the fingers inside of her to prove the point. In answer, he gave her a chaste kiss before a transformation took place. In place of the sweet and considerate Sesshomaru present only moments ago, there was a Sesshomaru that radiated dominance with a mouth curved into a smug smirk. "On your hands and knees" he said, pulling his fingers from her, his tone giving no room for argument. Before she turned around, she got a good look at his naked form. He was slender, yet his flawless abs and tight muscles belied that he wasn't any weaker for it. The magenta stripes adorning his cheeks were matched by two of the same color around his waist and thighs. Then her eyes fell upon his manhood. Fully erect, it had to be about 12 inches. How was something like that supposed to fit inside of her?! looking back up to his eyes, she was about to voice her concern when he brought the fingers that were just inside of her to his lips and slowly licked her essence from them. It was a surprisingly arousing scene as on any other occasion it would have caused her to blush to her roots.

As it was, she quickly turned around. All of a sudden she felt hands around her waist and her hips were jerked back, making her fall forward onto her hands. Sesshomaru was flush against her from behind. She was still being driven mad by the loss of his fingers, so when she felt something against her sex she ground down on it in her thirst for friction. She heard a light hiss escape his mouth and knew what it was she was grinding on. She did it again to tease him, but this time he wouldn't have it, backing away slightly. She whined a bit at the loss and looking back at him said, "Sesho- maru, I want it…" "What exactly is it that you want? You must tell me so I can give it to you." he said with that sexy, frustrating little smirk; all the while teasing her entrance with the tip of what she now knew to be an enormous cock. "I want you inside of me" she said, wound up from his earlier ministrations and the teasing he was doing. "As you wish" he said, leaning over her back to kiss her neck once before slowly easing through her entrance. She was being stretched by something much bigger than his fingers now and it felt better than before. Then all of a sudden she was in pain as the head of his cock reached her barrier. It felt like she was being torn and she sounded like she was too. But through her cries of pain she felt comforting licks to her neck.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He hated her pain. Sesshomaru tried to lessen the pain by going slowly, but his size and her virginity were making it impossible. He settled for giving small licks to her neck, an inu way of comforting a mate. Finally he was fully sheathed in her tight heat. After a while, her cries of pain quieted down and became soft mewls. All the while his Beast had been screaming to take her, so when she moved slightly, signaling it was alright for him to move, he wasted no time in doing so. Her impossibly tight core squeezed deliciously every time he thrust into her. He was moving at a slow pace for her benefit, but he also enjoyed the way he could feel her inner muscles fluttering around him. Her mewls had become moans by now and they were music he loved to hear. "Mo- more Sessho- maru. Hard- er. Fas- ter. Sesho- maru!" she managed to say through pants and cries of pleasure. The sound of his name on her petal lips broke his tenuous control and with eyes bleeding red he grabbed her hips and slammed into her. He set a fast pace, pumping into her roughly and relishing the screams of ecstasy he tore from her mouth. He felt her slick walls tense up again and knew that he was not in enough control to stop himself from releasing when she did. Using his demonic speed he pounded into her, using her hips to pull her back on him as he thrust forward. She fell onto her forearms from the force he was using and was saying his name like a chant when she could find breath.

~Kagome's POV~

She felt so full, yet she wanted him deeper. What had started off as making love had reduced to frantic fucking, yet she loved this just as much. She was almost numb with pleasure as he continued his merciless assault on her sex. He had started pumping her so hard that she fell forward. The position had caused her ass to stick up more and the new angle meant every movement was deeper. His balls were slapping against her clit every time he rammed into her and the added sensation was bringing her to a new high. She could feel the now familiar tightening in her abdomen and knew it wouldn't be long before she climaxed again. And then in one particularly hard thrust he swiveled his hips a bit and her mouth opened in a silent scream of rapture as the world was turned into a blinding white and she exploded into a billion stars of pleasure.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

When her walls clenched tightly around him as she climaxed, he released as well with a loud growl, leaning over her to bite her neck. The bite was hard and he felt her gasp, but the pain was soon replaced by the warmth that surrounded them as his youki and her reiki swirled into one. This was his mating mark that would connect them forevermore. **'Mate'** his Beast rumbled in satisfaction. Meanwhile, he had knotted inside of her. Knowing this would take a while he moved them both on their sides, pulling her body flush against his and wrapping an arm around her waist. "What's going on?" she asked, with a tired but worried voice. "I have knotted within you. We will be stuck this way for a long time, so I have moved us into a more comfortable position" he replied. "Knotting?" she inquired. "It is the way inu's keep their female from running off after rutting. It increases the chances of impregnation" he said plainly. "I'm going to pregnant?" she asked in a soft voice. "Not this time. As a Daiyoukai, I am able to control the potency of my seed. You are young and do not yet know the ways of youkai, so I assumed you would not want pups right away. Although I will seek pups in the future…" he explained, enjoying the flush of color in her cheeks as he did. "What was that with our auras when we… finished" she said rife with embarrassment. "I have taken you as my mate. As a result, our lives and power are tied together" he told her, licking his mark upon her neck with pride.

~Kagome's POV~

They laid in comfortable silence basking in the afterglow of their coupling. It was an odd sensation to say the least. After he had released into her, she had felt him grow and swell inside. All of a sudden, he spasmed within her core and she felt his seed fill her womb. As this happened she wondered again at his thoughtfulness. Although he was not a man of many words, he still showed his attentiveness in other ways. Most males would probably ejaculate into their partners and not care or not deal with the consequences. But not Sesshomaru. True to form, his perfection extended right down to this. Kagome didn't think she was quite ready for children, but she knew that even if he hadn't been able to control himself like that she wouldn't worry too much. Just the thought of being round and pregnant with his pups made her blush with renewed force. "What is the matter?" he said in a softer version of the deep rumble that was his voice. "I was just thinking about what you said earlier and that… if they were _your _pups, I wouldn't mind" she replied, thankful that in their current position he couldn't see her face blazing red.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

His Beast howled in approval, **'See? Our mate wishes to bear our pups! We will please our mate with them next time we rut.'** Ignoring the urgings of his Beast, he could not help but admit to himself that he was pleased by her statement. Licking the place where he had marked her, he showed his contentment with a deep thrumming in his throat.

~Kagome's POV~

After her confession, she could feel the vibrations emanating from his chest and knew it to mean he was happy. Exhaustion finally taking over, she snuggled into the warmth of his chest and fell asleep to the comfortable hum.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

Sesshomaru released four more times that night, waking them both up each time. After the last time, he was finally able to pull out of her. Turning to her other side, they lied down facing each other with their legs entwined and his arms wrapped about her. He had taken the miko as a mate today, so he could not stop the small smile that fell on his lips as he felt her breath warm against his chest as he closed his eyes at last.

***ALL LEMON STUFF OVER* **(A/N: If you skipped the lemon scene, they are mates now \(^v^)/)

~General POV~

What neither of them saw was that while they slept in the glow of the full moon, an interesting transformation was taking place.


	4. The Mating Mark Part 3

~Kagome's POV~

She woke under the pale morning sky with the feeling of the soft grass caressing her bare back. The sun had just touched the horizon and was spreading its warm rays over their place in the gardens. But the greatest warmth came not from the sun, but rather from the sleeping demon lord beside her. She smiled at the peace his features held in sleep. It was childlike in its beauty and she wondered why he looked so warm to her yet acted so cold to others. Raising her hand to his face, she lightly traced his markings. When she pulled her hand away, she found that it was trapped in a much bigger one belonging to the same owner of the breathtaking amber eyes that were staring into her own. He pulled her fingers to his lips, giving the guilty fingers a kiss before smiling lazily. "Is there something my mate would like?" he asked, leaning up on one elbow. Blushing like mad, his actions reminded her of the night before when they… "Maybe a b-bath?" she said, her uncertainty making it a question. She was confused by this Sesshomaru. She had seen him indifferent, cold, angry, lustful, and caring, but never this freely smiling almost playful Sesshomaru. It made her feel excited to know that this was something he would share with her. "Ah, but you smell even better with my scent all over you" he mused. She squirmed under his smug expression. Jumping to her feet she said, "We need to get back, and I can't go back smelling like _sex_!" hissing the last word. When his look changed from smug to appreciative, she noticed two things. One, it was utterly unfair for someone to wake up after a night of sex and sleeping outdoors and still look as perfect as he did. And two… she was naked.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

He chuckled the moment she realized her nudity. Her mouth had opened, however she could not, apparently, find any words. Her entire body tensed up and she turned a curious shade of red before covering herself with her hands and turning away. While he enjoyed the view of her softly rounded rear, he also did not want his mate to act like this every time they coupled. Inu's were most comfortable in their natural state, so it would not do to have his mate be too shy to handle it. In a moment, he had his arms around her waist and was lightly kissing the place on her neck where he had marked her the night before. "Do not be ashamed of your body Kagome, you would be desirable among all males, but you belong to me. I will not have my mate feel inferior in any way, so now come let us bathe" he said, comforting and chastising at the same time. He lifted her into his arms despite her squeak of protest and walked towards the hot spring. Once they were in the water, he set her down in front of him.

He knew she was sore by the way she moved, and so he would try to relieve the ache she held. Around the hotspring were several jars that he recognized but knew did not belong there. They held different soaps and scented oils used when bathing. Deciding to investigate it later, he grabbed a soap for the body and worked it into a lather. He then set to work applying it to her body. "What are you doing?" she asked, pulling away slightly. Nipping her mark reprimandingly, he replied, "I am grooming my mate, and you will do the same." As she settled down he began rubbing the soap down her body. It was not done in a sexual manner, but rather in a way that communicated his care. He started with her hair, washing the midnight tresses until they flowed like black water down her back. Afterwards, he made quick work of her front, thoroughly but efficiently cleaning everything from her arms and breasts, to her core and toes. Then he started kneading the soap into her back loosening the knots he found there on the way. When he traveled back up to her shoulders she groaned appreciatively. He continued to massage her shoulders until she was completely relaxed, knowing that she had been in a rather uncomfortable position.

~Kagome's POV~

She didn't know how this much perfection could fit into one person, but as his hands worked the tension out of her shoulders, she found that she didn't care. His hands were absolute _magic_. Combined with the warmth of the water, it was bliss. If she had this to look forward to every time she took a bath, she could _definitely_ live through any hardships the feudal era could throw at her. By the time he finished, she felt as if she had melted into a puddle of goo and been reformed into a person again (ache free too!) She washed all of the soap off with water before moving behind him. Because he was so much taller than her, he had to sit in the water for her to wash his hair. At first she was daunted by the sheer amount of hair he possessed, but she couldn't deny herself a chance to play with his super silky silver locks. Pouring a generous amount of soap in her palms she started at the bottom of his hair and worked her way up. It took ten more palm fulls of soap before she reached the crown of his head. She massaged the soap into his hair using her blunt fingernails to scratch his scalp in a rhythmic manner. She noticed that as she continued this action, that deep thrumming noise he had made before was back. He only seemed to do it when he was content so… did that mean it was like purring? At the thought of the proud Sesshomaru purring while his head was scratched, she had to hold back her laughter.

When she finished his hair, he stood so that she could wash his back. She stopped to admire it as she did so. It was strong and defined and she couldn't help the pride that rose in her as she looked at _her _mate. She wanted to take him and show him off to the whole world! Lost in her thoughts, she had been scrubbing the same spot for a while. Turning to face her, Sesshomaru spoke with slight worry in his tone, "I think that place is quite clean enough. Are you well?" She answered back shyly, but truthfully, "I was just admiring my mate." His face immediately morphed into a smirk. "There's more yet to admire. Will you wash the rest of me now?" She scowled playfully at his conceited tone, but set to work washing his front. She washed his chest and abs, but stopped when she got to his manhood. Seeing it now up close and in the light she almost couldn't believe it. How had that fit inside of her?! Still marveling, she cleaned it as quickly as possible, finding is impossible not to be squeamish. Then she finished his legs and indicated that he should rinse the soap.

What she _didn't_ tell him to do was grab her legs underwater and lift her over his shoulder. But that's what he did, leaping gracefully out of the hot spring. Stooping only to pick up his haori and hakama from where he had discarded it the night before. After putting on his hakama and wrapping her in his haori, he carried her in his arms out of the gardens. While he carried her, she decided that now was the time to protest her position. "Sesshomaru," she started sternly, "I am not some doll that you can pick up and put down as you please." Looking to her with innocent amber eyes he said, "Are you certain you _can_ walk properly by yourself?" She blushed, her earlier upset gone. She had no answer because she honestly _was_ really sore after last night. She had used muscles she never knew she had and been stretched in ways she couldn't previously imagine. "Whatever. Just don't get used to it…" she mumbled as they continued leisurely to the castle.

~Sesshomaru's POV~

It had been so long since he felt such tranquility, so he was not surprised when they arrived back and his castle was in uproar. Servants were rushing about and he could hear angry voices shouting near the door. He was equally unsurprised when he caught the scent of his idiot half-brother at the center of it all. Kagome appeared to have caught the scent as well because she stiffened in his arms. "Is- is that _Inuyasha_?" she asked, confusion coloring her tone. He sighed inwardly, was he not allowed a few moments of peace with his mate? Gritting his teeth at the half-breed's poor timing his face became a deadly calm. The servants around him prepared for blood, because it was clear the hanyou would not get a warm reception today. "Hn. So it seems" he said, reverting back to his usual coldness.

~Inuyasha's POV~

They had finally made it to this Kami forsaken castle and he'd be _damned _if he let them stop him from seeing Kagome. The whole way to the West he kept hearin' the same stupid shit from Sango about leavin' if Kagome was happy. 'keh. As if she could possibly be happy with my ice-prick of a half-brother.' He was convinced that it would be a miracle to even find her alive. And even if she was happy for some reason, he wouldn't leave until she knew exactly what she saw and what his reasons were. But regardless, he shouldn't have had to take that much shit from his pack. If he wanted to take her away from the castle, it's not as if either of them could stop him. And so he had endured a long journey of skulking, being lectured and his heat had come around again so he was fucking Kikyo on the side. If that didn't irritate him enough, when they finally _got_ here, this little green toad demon said they couldn't go in!

He had drawn Tetsusaiga, ready to fight his way in if he had to, when an arrogant voice floated down the hall, making the puppy ears on top of his head twitch. "Do not presume that you can enter into my home uninvited and then destroy it with your unskilled handling of Tetsusaiga" came Sesshomaru's voice, making him bear his fangs in a low growl. He whirled around and nearly choked. Sesshomaru was walking in with Kagome in his arms, wearing his haori, while he himself only wore hakama. And that wasn't the worst part! Glaring out at him from the center of her forehead was a deep blue crescent moon, and on her cheeks were two silver stripes. "What the _FUCK_ is all of _this_?!" he yelled. Sesshomaru let Kagome down and Inuyasha stomped up to her, angry, before a snarl ripped out of Sesshomaru's throat. "_WATCH_ yourself half-breed" he growled, making Inuyasha's ears lay flat against his skull as his Beast recognized an alpha. "Inuyasha, what's wrong?" Kagome said after a moment, to break the palpable tension. "What's _wrong_? You took that asshole for a mate, that's what's wrong" he seethed. Her mouth fell open. "How di- how did you know?" she asked, blushing incredibly. Was she serious? "Have you taken a fuckin' look at yourself? It's obvious, you even _smell_ like him" he said.

~Kagome's POV~

She looked to Sesshomaru for confirmation, "What is he talking about?" "The hanyou refers to the markings you now bear, as well as the way our scents have layered" he said, with his eyes still narrowed at Inuyasha. "What markings?" she asked, confused. "You have the same markings as this Sesshomaru. They are proof that you are Lady of the West" he told her, reluctantly turning his eyes away from Inuyasha. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked Sesshomaru. "It changes nothing, marks or no marks you are still mate to this Sesshomaru. I saw no need to point out unnecessary things" he said simply. Kagome still couldn't believe he could be so nonchalant about it, but the fact that he accepted her the same way no matter what just reminded her why she loved him. "Keh. I'm gonna be fuckin' sick" said Inuyasha, breaking their moment. That was when she fully realized the situation. Sango and Miroku were standing a bit far off, with shocked expressions and Kikyo was standing even further away looking at Sesshomaru. Inuyasha had probably forced them along in a tantrum. Wait. What the FUCK was Kikyo doing here?! And why was she looking at Sesshomaru like she wanted to jump him, wasn't she with Inuyasha?

She let a warning growl slip through her teeth, causing Kikyo to turn to her. Her expression was blank, but then an irritating little smirk lifted the corner of her mouth. Kagome saw red. "What is that CORPSE doing in my _HOME_?! Why do you keep looking at MY mate like a bitch in heat? Do you think you can TAKE him from me?" she said, raising her voice as her anger grew. Her body was starting to feel warm all over and the familiar flow of power coursed through her ready to follow her wishes. "I already took _one_ love from you, but if you insist I can take the other as well. He certainly looks as if he could satisfy me" she said in a dead tone, the smirk still in place. Kagome snarled and Kikyo drew her bow. Immediately Sesshomaru appeared in front of her and Inuyasha in front of Kikyo. "Sesshomaru," Kagome said in a calm voice, "please step aside. She challenged my place at your side and I will _not_ let you fight for me when it comes to my own problems." Nodding once, he stepped away. Inuyasha made no move to protect Kikyo, but was worried about Kagome. "Half-breed, your female has challenged Kagome. In one half hour, Kagome will receive her challenge and the two will fight until a yield or death. When the time comes, a servant will escort you to the armory and then the arena" Sesshomaru said in a formal tone, giving nothing away. 

** A/N:** The last part is not done yet, but tell me what you think so far!


End file.
